Information Available Concerning the Victims of the Bondi Beach Terror Attack
No fewer than 16 individuals perished and in excess of 40 were wounded when assailants fired on a Hanukah gathering at Bondi Beach, an incident Australian authorities are describing as a act of terrorism.
As of the newest reports, authorities have stated the number of fatalities is 16, including one of the suspected attackers. Moreover, 42 people with injuries were transported to hospital.
Those who died are still awaiting formally identified, but investigators think their ages are between 10 and 87 years old.
Listed are the individuals who have been named so far.
Eli Schlanger
London-born rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was initially identified.
Reportedly a father of five children, he served as the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi. Relatives and friends remembered him as “lively, dynamic, and vibrant and a very kind and sociable person who loved to help people”.
“How is it possible that a joyful rabbi who went to a beach to share joy and positivity, to make the world a better place, lose his life in this way?” a relative asked.
Schlanger and his wife celebrated the birth of their newest son in October.
Alexander Kleytman
Alexander Kleytman also lost his life, according to his wife.
She described the moments before the shooting, saying they had been standing together when the shooting started. “He moved to protect me because he wished to be near me,” she said.
The couple were both Holocaust survivors, having faced unspeakable terror in their childhood. They had later moved to Australia from Ukraine.
Dan Elkayam
The French foreign ministry have confirmed that French man Dan Elkayam is among the victims.
Publicly, a senior official expressed that France stood with his family and loved ones, the Jewish community, and the Australian people.
“This despicable act is a new, tragic manifestation of a disgusting rise of antisemitic hatred that we must put a stop to,” the statement read.
One Child
A 10-year-old girl who was rushed to the Sydney Children’s Hospital is among those who had died, authorities stated.
One Israeli Citizen
An Israeli citizen was among those killed in the incident, according to multiple sources referencing the Israeli government.
Those Injured
Of the 42 people transported to hospital, many remain receiving treatment, with a number in serious condition. The injured include two officers who attended the scene.
A casualty is a bystander who rushed to the scene to tackle one of the gunmen. Hailed as a local hero, he sustained bullet wounds but is in stable condition in hospital.
Arsen Ostrovsky
Among the injured is Arsen Ostrovsky, a human rights lawyer. Reports indicate he was wounded and is receiving treatment in hospital.
He wrote, he recounted the scene as an “utter carnage,” but also praised the actions of those who came to assist. He said he believed it was a “stroke of luck” he survived.
Evan Zlatkis
Evan Zlatkis, a community director, was another casualty in the attack. He told reporters he heard “dozens and dozens” of shots.
“Initially, I believed it was something less lethal, but it penetrated my own skin and into my leg,” he stated. “I was hit. They bandaged me up. I’m ok.”
